Cristiano Ronaldo announces his retirement from the Portuguese national team, ending his 23-year national team career

China News Service, Beijing, November 5th Lisbon News: Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano Ronaldo) officially announced his retirement from the Portuguese national football team through social media on November 5th, ending his 23-year national team career.

According to news from the British Broadcasting Corporation and other media, the 41-year-old Ronaldo officially said goodbye in a released video: "The day has come to return the national team's No. 7 jersey. I have always defended the glory of this jersey, and from this day on, it is time to pass it on to the future." He admitted that this was a difficult decision made from the heart. His journey with the national team began in August 2003 and changed his life.

Cristiano Ronaldo has played 234 international games on behalf of the Portuguese national team and scored 146 goals. As captain, he led the Portuguese team to win the 2016 European Cup and won the 2019 and 2025 UEFA Nations League championship trophies.

Ronaldo had previously had a serious tactical and disciplinary dispute with Portugal's new head coach Jorge Jesus. In the UEFA Nations League match against Norway last month, Ronaldo returned to the locker room after the final whistle without participating in the showdown after failing to get a starting start, and then withdrew from the national team training camp without permission. The Portuguese Football Association imposed a disciplinary ruling on him in mid-October, banning him for 30 days and fined him 255 euros. Before the expiration of the suspension, Ronaldo made the decision to permanently retire from the national team.

Despite ending his international career, Ronaldo will continue to focus on his work at the club level, currently playing for Riyadh Victory Club in the Saudi Professional Football League.